Overcoming Candida Albicans

Candidiasis is finally being diagnosed by allopathic physicians as a starting point for man autoimmune diseases. Lindsey Duncan, an internationally known clinical nutritionist, has been treating this problem for years. His work has helped publicize this condition and prompted its acceptance in mainstream medical field. We are reprinting, with Lindsey's permission, his landmark report on this disease.

Candidiasis is a yeast/fungal infection caused by toxins given off by an abundance of common yeast Candida albicans. Candida is an organism, and like all organisms, it has to eat and n excrete its waste. It thrives on sugar, yeast, breads, alcohol and food molds found in cheese, grapes, mushrooms and fermented foods (vinegar, tamari sauce, tofu, etc.). It is believed that organism's waste is cause of illness in humans.

Candida's main home is intestines -- the 29 feet extending from mouth to rectum. intestines are dark and moist, normally at a temperature of 98 degrees, an ideal breeding ground for candida and or unhealthy bacteria. This is where candida enters bloodstream and is distributed to rest of body. blood is fed by intestines, so when candida begins to take over, every part of body that is fed by blood will also feed candida. When candida becomes systemic, it weakens our immune system. If certain or factors are involved -- lack of exercise, poor diet, stress, toxins, illness or overuse of antibiotic or steroid hormone medications -- chances of having a weakened immune system are increased.

Candida lives in mouth, skin, vagina, and intestinal tract in a healthy person, but it is naturally controlled by a healthy immune system and hundreds of "good" bacteria (including bifidobacteria and lactobacillus) that reside in intestines. When candida proliferates in bloodstream and becomes a systemic problem, it can eventually result in a plethora of problems including "brain fog," chronic yeast infections, coated tongue, fungus under toenails, intense sugar cravings, digestive gas and bloat, cold hands and feet, weak muscles, chronic fatigue, skin problems, mood swings and more. When candida has taken over to this degree, you can also bet that it has hampered body's ability to maintain efficient digestion, assimilation and elimination.

A case history

When Denise first came to my Home Nutrition Clinic, she was 32 years old, working in entertainment business, and extremely burned out from stress and fatigue. Although she was slim, her stomach was bloated and distended, and she suffered from a chronic chest cough and head congestion. Denise had cold hands and feet, a coated tongue, dry, thinning hair, splitting nails, mood swings, peeling skin, "brain fog" and she was extremely weak. She was chronically constipated, moving her bowels about once every or day. Denise's physician had diagnosed her with Epstein-Barr virus and candidiasis, and put her on Nystatin, an antifungal drug.

A growing diagnosis

I would say that a very strong majority of population in U.S. has some degree of candida. How many people have been on antibiotics and have consumed chlorinated water (which destroys bad and good bacteria because chlorine doesn't have inherent ability to differentiate two)? How many of us grew up eating concentrated sugars, starches and carbohydrates?

What we have to remember about candida is that everything is relative and that it exists in varying degrees. Consider these three examples: one person who has a poor diet and lack of exercise may have candida and not realize it. y grow accustomed to not feeling well most of time and go about ir lives. Another individual may have stronger indications of candida, such as bloating after eating and a strong craving for sweets. A more extreme case of candida may be a chemically sensitive person who must move out of city to a non-toxic environment and wear special non-toxic clothes. This person may have a more intensified systemic version of candida.

Women and men develop candida as a result of too much stress, toxins, antibiotics, and eating wrong foods. But women are more susceptible to infection for several reasons. Yeast enters body easily through vagina. In addition, hormonal changes -- influenced by multiple pregnancies, birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy -- encourage candida growth.

Denise developed candida for a number of reasons. She ate too much sugar and yeast breads, she was taking birth control pills, she had a long history of taking antibiotics, she was under a lot of stress, and she only moved her bowels once a day, or once every or day. I immediately put her on a cleansing and detoxification program.

If you remove mucous, congestion, and toxic build-up from body, n you remove home where candida lives. Candida likes a warm, moist, anaerobic environment (without oxygen). It emits toxins, which, in effect, decrease blood flow to and from site leading to a build-up of more toxins. more toxins, more candida!

Getting rid of candida

The goal is to eliminate toxins and arrest growth of candida. Healthy liver function and a strong immune system, along with a clean intestinal system, are keys to lasting prevention and control of candida. So -- first thing I had Denise do was change her diet.

The average American consumes 52 teaspoons of sugar every day! I'm not saying Denise ate quite that much but, like most people, she drank two cups of sweetened coffee per day, and she'd usually have a muffin in morning or toast with jam. Add to that a can of soda (which contains 16 teaspoons of sugar), a tablespoon of ketchup with french fries and a burger, or a cup of tomato sauce (which almost always contains sugar) on pasta, a few cookies or a bowl of ice cream at night and you're probably already up to at least 40 teaspoons of sugar -- candida's favorite food!

Denise cut out all sugar...period! She stopped eating her daily muffin and all or baked goods. She did extraordinarily well. At my clinic, I see many people with candida who get obsessed with what y can and can't eat. obsessions cause stress, and stress breaks down immune system. Stress has no place in a program to combat candida.

Just keep it simple. If it tastes sweet, don't eat it. You may not think of brown rice as sweet, but it is in comparison to or recommended grains. Carrots are also too sweet, as are beets, sweet potatoes and yams. Fruit is also too sweet. candida diet is basically a sour diet without fermented foods. I also had Denise eliminate dairy products and red meat and switch to a diet that consisted of:

- 50 percent fresh vegetables -- Four to six fresh vegetables each day. Two dark green, leafy vegetables each day.

At same time Denise was switching over to a healthy diet, I had her take a number of supplements to aggressively attack candida. First of all, it's very important to clean out intestinal tract with a high-quality internal cleanser and fiber product. Some products incorporate echinacea, pau d'arco, or Bentonite clay, which absorbs bacteria.

Pau d'arco bark, obtained from a tropical tree native to Brazil, is a fungicide, antiviral and diuretic, and is also beneficial in fighting candidiasis. When purchasing products with pau d'arco, be sure that they contain lapachol, an organic compound known for its antibiotic action, because many products that claim to contain bark have only trace amounts or even none of herb. Ascorbic acid and caprylic acid acidify and destroy candida, and black currant and flax seed oils kill candida.

Maintaining friendly bacteria within gastrointestinal tract is essential in preventing and fighting candida. re are more than 400 species of beneficial bacteria found in a healthy gastrointestinal tract. Certain bacteria help to maintain good health and or bacteria help us regain health. All "good" bacteria are classified as probiotics, which means "for health." Overly-acidic conditions in body, which result from overuse of antibiotics and hormonal drugs as well as dietary imbalances, can interfere with amount and function of probiotics in system. Bacterial health is also influenced by presence of candida.

You may want to consider a program which includes many of following ingredients:

- A probiotic supplement including lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidum, which produce a variety of factors which inhibit or antagonize or bacteria. Oral supplementation of these products is thought to positively affect microbial balance of the intestinal system. Lactobacillus acidophilus is a normal inhabitant of small intestine, bifidobacterium predominates in the large intestine. Lactobacillus acidophilus has been shown to inhibit growth of candida.

- Berberine, an antimicrobial agent against many organisms, including Candida albicans. Berberine not only prevents candida overgrowth but also provides support to immune system by increasing blood supply to spleen.

- N-Acetyl D Glucosamine, which promotes growth of bifidobacteria and also prevents adherence of Candida albicans to intestinal mucosa.

In addition, garlic has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of health conditions including vaginitis. Today, it's particularly effective used as a vaginal suppository, or juice used as a douche, in cases of vaginitis due to candida. According to John Heinerman, Ph.D., author of " Healing Benefits of Garlic" in German scientific periodical Journal Bacteria and Hygiene. candida, as well as or bacteria and yeast, become resistant to synthetic antibiotics over time, but y never acquire resistance to garlic juice. In or studies, garlic has proven to be more potent than Nystatin, gentian violet and six or antifungal agents used in combating candida (G.S. Moore and R.D. Atkins, Mycologia 69:341-8, 1977).

Regardless of treatment you use, it's important to realize that yeast is a living organism, a part of body. Killing m off is traumatic. Most people with candida live with very uncomfortable symptoms, and when candida are killed off, it's common to feel worse before beginning to feel better. It's knowledge and understanding of what candida is and understanding of "die-off" process that pulls m through initial hard times.

My advice is to be as gentle with your body as you can and give yourself all time that you need -- at least three to six months. If you have candida, you want to get better quickly, but multiple therapies all at once can be self-defeating, physiologically upsetting and too traumatic to system. Just go at your own pace.

When you go into battle against something that has overcome your body, it's your responsibility to learn what you are battling, why you are battling it, what weapons you will use, how you will win, and what winning battle against candida feels and looks like. As I always say, it's knowledge that is key, but knowledge is nothing unless you implement it.

Self-Test for Candidiasis

Ask yourself following questions. Several "yes" answers may indicate you have Candidiasis and should seek a professional opinion.

Have you ever taken cortico-steroid drugs or antibiotics, or been on antibiotics for an extended length of time?
Are you currently on birth control pills or ever taken them for a period of two years or more?
Have you ever been plagued with vaginal yeast infections, vaginitis, PMS, menstrual pain, endometriosis, prostatitis, or loss of sexual interest?
Do you crave sweets, bread or alcoholic beverages?
Do you suffer from unexplained aches and pains or headaches?
Have you been pregnant more than twice? (Hormonal changes contribute to candidiasis susceptibility.)
Are you overly sensitive to chemicals including perfumes, tobacco smoke, paint, insecticides, etc.?
Are you bored by chronic digestive complaints such as bloating, gas? Do you have constipation or diarrhea?
Do you find yourself having to deal with problems like athlete's foot, jock itch, nail fungus, ring worm? Do you have bouts with psoriasis, eczema, hives or chronic dermatitis?
Are you chronically fatigued? Do you suffer from memory loss ("brain fog"), erratic vision, spots or "floaters" in front of your eyes, nervous tension?
Do you feel depressed or ill for no known reason? Do you feel worse on damp days?
Do you often have cold hands and feet?
Is your tongue coated?